Banding machine



Dec. 10, 1957 w. B. FAHRENBACH 2,815,626

BANDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 26. 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WOLFQQ/V 5. FAHEENBACI/ g 20w? Buloiz7 ATTORNEY 1957 w. B. FAHRENBACH ,81

BANDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 26, 1953 m H ida r 5% ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 1957 w. B. FAHRENBACH 2,815,626

BANDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 26, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 .ILzlg.3

INVENTOR. WOL FG/IA/G .5. FA HRENBACH ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 1957 w. B. FAHRENBACH 2,815,626

BANDING MACHINE 5 Shets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 26. 1953 INVENTOR. WOLFGANG a. FAHPENBA CH ATTOENE Y Dec. 10, 1957 w. B. FAHRENBACH 2,815,626

BANDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 26. 1953 INVENTOR. WOLFGANG b. FAHRENBA cH BY @11 MA vMZI7 ATTORNEY Mid States 2,815,656 BANDING MACHINE Wolfgang B. Fahrenbach, Oakland, -Calif., assignor to Edlo Inc., San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application October 26, 1953,;SerialNo. 388,330 Claims. oi. 55-198 This invention relates to an apparatusfo r applying. a band around an articleor articles and more particularly to a device forfeeding an elongated strip of handing material to a station for subsequent formation of a band to he applied around the article. I I,

The present invention Will be described in detail in connection with apparatusfor applying a wrapper band around a pair of milk cartons for holding said pair together for subsequent handling, transportation andsale as a unit. However, it will be understood that the invention is not necessarily restricted to such a limited use and may be utilized for handling bands of different material and for various purposes. 7 l i j A u i In the retail merchandizing of milk, it is extremely dersirahle to provide two separate cartons of milk secjured together for sale as a unit. In this manner, the customer is provided with two separate quarts of milk which are more easily stored and handled during use and at the same time he is required to handle only one package when making his selection in themarket.

Heretofore various types of bands have been provided for securing a pair of cartons together. For the .most

part such bands have been relatively thickand heavy and therefore expensive to provide, thus appreciably raising thepn'ce of the product. 4 l v H i, In addition, such bands have been relatively inconvenient to handle and the operation of applying the band around the cartons has not readily lent itself to automatic machinery. When performed manually, the open Still anotherobject of the, invention is the provision of a feeding device, for handing material which auto matically folds a relatively thin band to provide optimum strength in the same. z M, Yet another objectjof theinventionis the provisionof a feeding device for handing, material .incorpo; rates a feed roller adapted to b e provided with printing type for printing advertising or other indicia on the wrapping band so that the same is readily viewed by a custot-ner- 1..I 2- .i Y 2 Other objects andadvantages will be apparent from the attached specification and drawings,

F 1 is an om t s v wp a an 'r ai p na n s ii e.'

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the strip feeding device th r le n nop rati s tisz, r

Rig, 3. is an enlarged side elev, tional view or the stiip feedin g means. v

. upper f ace.9 of turntable 7.

bands around a pair of cartons and which device; is

the levers .19,-20are releasedand a heated iron 23 is.

Fig. 4 is a-nertical cross sectional view of the feed rollers and driving means. i

.7 Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the strip feeding device similar to Fig. 2 but with the rollers in operative position.- Fig. 6.is a schematic view showing the electrical wiring and the strip feeding means. j v

The general nature oftheinvention may best be. understood from a consideration of Fig. 1 wherein the entireband applyingapparatusis indicated. Themilk cartons are conveyed in pairs such as the pair. 1, 2 by a belt 3 to a feeding turntable, generally designated. 4. Y Turntable lrotatesintermittently and is providedwith a plurality of radially outwardly opening:

pockets 5 each of which is adapted to receive a pair of cartons; x

Alongside, .but spaced from turntable4 is a main turntable generally designated 7 which is provided with radial--v when a pair ofcartonsin one of the pockets 5 moves to @PQ Iion alongside a pocket 8 in turntable 7, said;

cartons .are pushed by an arm (notshown) into said pocket 8 so thatt the samerare supported by their upper peripherally extending; outwardly directed lips on the ,Betweenthe pocketsS ant 1J8 on the turntables 4, 7

respectively thereare provided ;a pair of band supports generally designated 10, 11 respectively and betweenv which the wrapper band 12 extends. -The band 12 isrelea sably held. at its opposite endsinsaid band supports in a manner which will be more fully described later on ingreater, detail. By this arrangement, when a pair of cartons are transferred from one of the pockets 5 to one of the pockets 8 their leading sideengages the band 12 and, carries said band along vwith the cartons.

. Inasmuch as thepocketsB are of such a size asto snugly receive a pair of cartons, the band 12 automati-- cally bends at right angles to the leading side of the pair of cartons and is held between the opposite lateral sides of thecartons and the adjacent sides of the pockets 8.

r qThe length of ,the band which encircles, the cartons is" such thatthe free ends thereof are not released from bandv holder. 1 0 until theturntable 7 starts to rotateand forceably pulls saidfree ends i-awayfrom said holder.

When the. turntable-7 is indexed to swing the cartons counterclockwise, through 9 0" a handle inserting device (not shown) inserts a vertically disposed handle between the pairof cartons.

.Upon rotation .through another ,the cartons are moved. to a position alongside a glue applicator generally. designated .15.; This ,applicator is provided withtan angularlydisposed rotating head 16 having a pair of: brushes ,l7 which alternately apply glue to the ends of the-bandll Said; ends,it will be understood, extend outwardly from the ,pockets8 so that the same are en-.

gagedby the brushes 17 as the turntable 7 moves past the latter. i

On the radiallyloutw ardly directed faces of turntable= 7 and adjacent each pocket 8 are a pair oflevers.19, 20.

ble through another 96,

applied ,to the endsofthe band, pressing them against the, cartons, and setting the glue. The wrapped. cartons are then .removedand conyeyed awayion a conveyer belt.

. i ,24. Ihe heate iron 2 3 may be omitted when fast drying hot glue" is employed.

Patented Dec. 10, 1957 Thepresent invention is particularly directed to the band supports 10, 11 and the means for feeding the banding strip thereto. Thisstructure will now be described.

The band 12 is formed from a continuous strip 25 (Fig. 1) of relatively thin paper or the like which may be provided in the form of a roll (not shown) and made available by any desired paying out device so that there is no appreciable tension on the end portion of the strip which is to form the band.

The strip 25 is fed through a hemming device or guide 26 which folds the opposite longitudinally extending margins of the strip 25 to provide upper and lower hems 27, 28 respectively (Fig. 4). These hems strengthen the strip and prevent tearing of the same.

Adjacent the discharge end of guide 26 area pair of vertically disposed rollers 29, 30 adapted to engage the strip 25 therebetween. Roller 30 is fixedly secured by means of a key 31 (Fig. 4) to a vertically disposed shaft 32 driven through any suitable drive from an electric motor 33 (Fig. 3).

Also secured to shaft 32 and above roller 30 is a spur gear 33 which is in mesh with a similar spur gear 34 on a vertically extending shaft 35 (Fig. 4).

The driven shaft 32 is rotatably supported in a bearing 36 carried by the upper side of a housing 37, and shaft 35 is fixedly secured at its lower end in a relatively heavy curved arm 38. Ann 38 is supported at one of its ends on a pin 39 (Figs. 2, rotatably secured to housing 37. By swinging arm 38 on pin 39 it will be apparent that the roller 29 may swing towards or away from roller 30 as desired. Furthermore, it should be noted that roller 29 may be swung from the engaged position shown in Fig. 5 to the disengaged position of Fig. 2 without completely separating the teeth of gears 29, 30. By this structure, the rollers 29, 30 rotate in opposite directions at all times and may be run at an extremely high speed since there are no inertia effects to be overcome in starting and stopping the rollers.

Moveable roller 29 is urged toward a disengaged position at all times by a helical extension spring 42 which is secured at one end to the housing 37 and at the opposite end to the arm 38 (Figs. 2, 5).

Also secured to rotatable pin 39 is one end of a second arm 43 which is positioned below the top 44 of housing 37 and which extends outwardly through one side 45 of housing 37. Intermediate the ends of arm 43 are a pair of links 46, 47 which are respectively positioned above and below the outer end of arm 43. Adjacent the outer end of arm 43 the links 46, 47 are connected together at one side by means of a plate 48 which is formed to provide a biased surface 49 for a purpose to be described. Opposite plate 49 is another plate 50 which is also rigidly secured to the links 47. By this structure the outer ends of links 46, 47 are boxed so that the outer end of arm 43 is loosely received in the boxed end. The inner ends of links 46, 47 are pivotally mounted on a vertically extending pin 51 secured to arm 43 (Fig. 4).

As best seen in Figs. 2, 3, 5 a bolt 54 is threadedly secured in the outer end of arm 43 with its shank projecting through a suitable aperture in plate 50. A helical compression spring 55 surrounding the shank of bolt 54 operates between the head of said bolt and the plate so as to urge the outer end of arm 43 toward the plate 50.

Carried by the housing 37 is a conventional solenoid generally designated 58 and provided with a plunger 59 which is urged to the left as seen in Fig. 2 when the solenoid is energized. One end of plunger 59 is provided with rollers 60 (Figs. 2, 3, 5) for engaging the biased surface 49 of plate 48 when the solenoid is energized to move the plunger 59 to the position of Fig. 5. In so moving, the links 46, 47 are swung clockwise as seen in Figs. 2, 5 and yieldably urge the arm 43 in the same direction against the resiliency of spring 55. In this manner the sharp impact imparted by solenoid plunger 59 on plate 48 is converted to a smooth pressure on arm 43 causing the same to swing through an arc in a clockwise direction until roller 29 is pressed against stationary roller 30 or against the paper strip 25 that is between said rollers. Inasmuch as the rollers 29, 30 are both rotating at a high speed at all times in the direction indicated by arrows the strip 25 is quickly fed to the left as seen in Figs. 2, 5. When the solenoid 58 is deenergized, the spring 42 instantly swings arm 43 to the position of Fig. 2, thus separating the rollers and discontinuing feeding of strip 25.

As best seen in Fig. 1 the band supports 10, 11 are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width of a carton and it is necessary that the strip 25 traverse this space 62 (Fig. 6') during feeding thereof. Inasmuch as the paper speed may be made as high as 100 inches per second the paper supports 10, 11 must be set up quite accurately. ,Said supports preferably comprise a section of sheet metal or the like bent along its margins to provide a pair of oppositely inwardly opening channels 64, 64 (Fig. 1) within which hems 27, 28 of the paper strip 25 are retained.

As seen in Fig. 4 the pressing together of rollers 29, 30 during feeding of the strip 25 helps to bend the hems 27, 28 of said strip flat so that the strip is relatively rigid when it traverses the space 62 between the supports 10, 11.

Paper support 11 is provided with a switch, generally designated 65 (Fig. 1) having a contact 66 (Fig. 6) which normally engages the band support 11 to complete a circuit. When the strip 25 moves between said contact 66 and the support 11 the circuit is broken thereby deenergizing the solenoid to stop feeding of the strip. This operation will be more fully described now with reference to the wiring diagram (Fig. 6).

The solenoid 58 receives its power from a pair of power leads 69, 70 (Fig. 6). Lead 69 is connected with the solenoid through a wire 71 in which is a normally open switch 72. Wire 71 is connected with contact 66 of switch 65 and a circuit is established through band support 11. Thus, when switch 72 is closed and there is no band between contact 66 and band support 11, the

ysolenoid 58 will be energized and the paper band will be fed by rollers 29, 30 across space 62.

On band support 10 and adjacent space 62 is a second contact 78 similar to contact 66. Contact 78 is connected by a wire 73 with wire 71 and is provided with a normally closed switch 74. When switch 74 is closed a cirucuit is established through wire 73, contact 78 and band support 10 by means of a wire 75 which connects said support and wire 71.

Operatively connected with switches 72, 74 is a relay 76 which is connected by means of wire 77 with lead 70 and wire 71 so that said relay is energized when switch 72 and contact 66 are both closed or when contact 78, switch 74 and contact 66 are all closed. When relay 76 is deenergized, switch 72 is open and switch 74 closed. It will therefore be apparent when contacts 66, 78 are both closed a circuit is established through the solenoid 58 causing the paper strip to be fed along support 10, across space 62 and into support 11.

When the strip is interposed between contact 78 and support 10 said contact is opened but a circuit is still established through switch 72 which, of course, is closed while relay 76 is energized. When the strip 25 has been fed sufliciently so that the same opens contact 66, the solenoid 58 is immediately deenergized, and feeding stops. At the same time, relay 76 is deenergized causing switch 74 to close and switch 72 to open. When feeding ceases, the strip 25 is cut at a point adjacent rollers 29, 30, in a manner which will subsequently be described, thus forming the band 12.

When a pair of cartons are moved from a pocket 5 in turntable 4 to a pocket 8 in turntable 7 the band is automat ea P m t ba upport 0..1 .lagthis connection, it will be noted that the. sp'a'cinggabetween the strip cutter (Figs. 2, 6). and the contact 78 is such that the band 1 2 is completely released from support 11 before it is disengaged from contact 78.

Thus when the carton starts to pull the band 12 from the supports 10, 11 contact 66 closes first but. a circuit through the solenoid 58 is ,not completed because switch 72 is still open. Switch 74 is, of course, closedg buturitil contact 78 closes, no circuit is established through said switch. i P I When the turntable 7 has rotated suffi'ciently so that the band 12 is pulled from between contact 78 and; support 10 the circuit through the latter is established a'ndboth the relay 76 and the solenoid 58 are energized to feed the strip past contact 78 and across space 62 to support 11. When the desired amount of strip has been fed the contact 66 closes thus immediately stopping feeding. At the same time relay 76 is deenergized so that feeding will not again commence until contact 78 is opened.

The cutting means will now be described. As best seen in Figs. 2, the arm 38 which supports the moveable roller 29 is formed with a return bend to provide a portion 80 which extends alongside and below the roler 30. Secured to this portion 80 is an upstanding cutting blade 81 which cooperates with another similar blade 82 on the opposite side of the paper strip 25 from blade 81.

Blade 82 is secured to one end of a lever 83 which is pivotally supported for horizontal swinging on a vertical pin 84 mounted on housing 37. On the opposite side of lever 83 from the cutting blade 82 is an extension 85 to which is secured one end of a helical extension spring 86. The other end of spring 86 is fixedly secured to a post 86 carried by housing 37. It is thus seen that the cutting blade 82 is yieldably urged at all times against blade 81. The cutting edges of blades 81, 82 diverge up wardly so as to permit said strip to pass therebetween when the blades are in the open position of Fig. 5. However, when the solenoid 58 is deenergized to stop feeding of strip 25 the blade 81 swings toward blade 82 with arm 38, automatically cutting the paper in a scissor-like fashion.

The present invention is readily adapted for advertising the users products. To this end, the roller 30, which engages the outer side of the wrapping band may be provided with printing type 88 (Fig. 4) to print any desired advertising material on the outside of the wrapping hand during the feeding process. By providing interchangeable rollers with different written material thereon the advertising may be changed from day to day or as desired. It will be understood that any conventional inking means (not shown) may be employed to ink type 88.

If desired, the same roller may be employed at all times and the type 88 may be provided on a removable sleeve.

Although the rollers 29, 30 are indicated on the drawings as being relieved centrally between their ends to provide an annular groove 90, this structure is not required and the advertising may be placed anywhere on the roller. However the shape of the roller shown in Fig. 4 is preferred since it insures optimum pressure on the hems 27, 28 of the paper strip 25.

I claim:

1. In a banding machine for applying an elongated band around an article, a pair of longitudinally spaced band supports for supporting said band at its opposite ends with its central portion free whereby said band partially encircles said article when the latter is moved across the space between said supports in a direction transversely of said band, means for feeding a free end portion of a continuous strip of banding material from one support to the other across said space, a feed controlling mechanism for stopping operation of said feeding means including actuating means interposed in the path of movement of said strip and carried by said other support and actuated by, engagernent..with the leading edge of said portion to? stopping said feeding means... In. a. banding machine forapplying an elongated band around an article, a pairof longitudinally spaced band supports for supporting said. band at its opposite ends with its central portion free whereby said band partially encircles said article when the latter is moved across the space between said supports in a direction transversely of said band, means for feeding one end of a continuous strip of banding material from one support to the other across said space, and means adjacent said one support for, cutting said strip to provide a band, solenoid actuated means for stopping and starting" said feeding, anelectricalcircuit for energizing said solenoid and a switch'o n saidother support adapted tobe opened by said end of said strip for opening said circuit to stop feeding of said strip when the latter engages said switch.

3. In a banding machine for applying an elongated band around an article, a pair of longitudinally spaced band supports for supporting said band at its opposite ends with its central portion free whereby said band partially encircles said article when the latter is moved across the space between said supports in a direction transversely of said band, means for feeding one end of a continuous strip of handing material from one support to the other across said space, and means adjacent said one support for cutting said strip to provide a band, solenoid actuated means for stopping and starting said feeding, first and second circuits each separately adapted to energize said solenoid for feeding said strip, first and second switches on said one support and said other support respectively for opening and closing said circuits, each of said switches being adapted to be opened when said strip is fed past the same, and means closing one of said circuits to energize said solenoid only when both of said switches are closed.

4. In a banding machine for applying an elongated band around an article, a pair of longitudinally spaced band supports for supporting said band at its opposite ends with its central portion free whereby said band partially encircles said article when the latter is moved across the space between said supports in a direction transversely of said band, means for feeding one end of a continuous strip of banding material from one support to the other across said space, and means adjacent said one support for cutting said strip to provide a band, said feeding means comprising a pair of opposed feed rollers, one of said rollers being mounted for rotation on a swingably mounted arm, a solenoid engageable with said arm for swinging the same toward said other roller when said solenoid is energized whereby said strip is engaged by said rollers and fed therebetween, power means for rotating said other roller and gears carried by said rollers for rotating said one roller at the same speed as said other roller at all times, means for swinging said arm away from said other roller when said solenoid is deenergized, first and second electrical circuits each adapted to energize said solenoid when closed, first and second switches adjacent said one support and said other support respectively and adapted to open said first and second circuits respectively when said strip is fed past the same thereby stopping said feeding, and means closing one of said circuits to energize said solenoid only when both of said switches are closed.

5. In a banding machine for applying an elongated band around an article, a pair of longitudinally spaced band supports for supporting said band at its opposite ends with its central portion free whereby said band partially encircles said article when the latter is moved across the space between said supports in a direction transversely of said band, means for feeding one end of a continuous strip of handing material from one support to the other across said space, and means adjacent said one support for cutting said strip to provide a band, said "7 feeding means comprising a pair of'opposed feed rollers, one of said rollers being mounted for rotation on a swing ably mounted arm, a solenoid engageable with said arm for swinging the same toward said other roller when said solenoid is energized whereby said strip is engaged by said rollers and fed therebetween, power means for rotating said other roller and gears carried by said rollers for rotating said one roller at the same speed as said other roller at all times, means for swinging said arm away from said other roller when said solenoid is deenergized, first and second electrical circuits each adapted to energize said solenoid when closed, first and second switches adjacent said one support andsaid other support respectively and adapted to open said first and second circuits respectively when said strip is fed past the same thereby stopping said feeding, and means closing one of said circuits 9 References Cited in the file of this patent H v UNITED STATES PATENTS 467,040 Mellen Jan. 12, 1892 561,567 Crowell June 9, 1896 836,241 Camp Nov. 20, 1906 1,135,077 Tomlinson Apr. 13, 1915 1,648,769 Hugo Nov. 8, 1927 Fenton Mar. 1, 1938 

